North Korean leader Kim Jong Un opened the ruling Workers’ Party congress by hailing the past five years as a period of significant progress, while setting out new economic and political goals amid scrutiny over military plans and possible succession signals.
Kim described the congress as the country’s most important political event and said the past five years had been “a proud period”, citing advances in politics, the economy, defence, culture and diplomacy, alongside a renewed emphasis on self-reliance, state media KCNA reported on Friday.
The meeting, attended by 5,000 members of the ruling Workers' Party, reviewed new goals and plans for the next five years.
When the previous Eighth Congress was convened, the circumstances facing North Korea were “literally so harsh that we could hardly maintain our own existence”, Kim said, adding that the country’s economy and industries had been antiquated.
South Korea's central bank has stated that North Korea suffered its biggest contraction in 23 years in 2020 due to UN sanctions, COVID-19 restrictions and severe weather.
Kim said the country faced "heavy and urgent historic tasks of boosting economic construction and the people's standard of living".
Earlier this week, he marked the completion of 10,000 new homes in Pyongyang, fulfilling the 50,000-home target set at the Eighth Congress. He also said the country must “review shortcomings” in its development, without elaborating.
More recent estimates indicate a 3.7% economic expansion in 2024, the fastest pace in eight years, driven in part by expanded ties with Russia. "Everything has changed fundamentally over the past five years," Kim said.
He said North Korea had brought a "big change" in its relations with other countries and the broader geopolitical landscape.
He did not address ties with the United States or South Korea and made no mention of efforts to develop a nuclear stockpile.
Jeong Eun-mee, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, a South Korean state-run think tank, said Kim may have deliberately toned down sensitive topics.
"He appears to be refraining from making public comments about sensitive issues," she said, especially ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China in April.
Kang Dong-wan, a political science professor at Dong-A University in Busan, said Kim may revise party rules to formalise the "hostile two states" rhetoric shaping policy towards South Korea.
It remains unclear how long the gathering will run. The Seventh Congress lasted four days, while the Eighth extended to eight.
North Korea is expected to showcase military capabilities at a parade and emphasise weapons development as part of the wider programme.
Satellite images last week showed thousands of North Koreans spelling out the slogan “Ninth Party Congress” in large Korean characters in central Pyongyang, which NK News reported could signal preparations for a parade.
Analysts are also watching whether Kim will be granted the title of "president" and whether his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, appears or receives an official role.
Speculation about succession intensified after South Korea's spy agency said on 12 February that Kim is grooming Ju Ae to follow him.
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian w...
The European Union adopted its 20th package of sanctions against Russia on Thursday (23 April), introducing sweeping new restrictions aimed at weak...
European Union leaders were set to discuss the bloc’s mutual assistance clause at a summit in southern Cyprus on Thursday, as U.S. President ...
Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders have approved Paramount Skydance’s proposed takeover of the media group, advancing a deal valued at rough...
International cyber agencies on Thursday (23 April) urged organisations to strengthen defences against covert networks used by China-linked hackers...
North Korea fired ballistic missiles towards the sea off its eastern coast on Sunday (19 April), accelerating its weapons tests amid heightened regional tensions linked to the Iran war and renewed diplomatic signals toward the United States and South Korea.
North Korea is making “very serious” advances in its nuclear weapons capabilities, with signs of a new uranium enrichment facility and increased activity at a key complex, the International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi has said.
North Korea conducted a complex test-firing of strategic cruise missiles and advanced anti-warship munitions on Sunday. The drills, reported by state media on Tuesday, were framed as critical operational efficiency trials for Pyongyang's newest major surface combatant, the destroyer Choe Hyon.
North Korea has tested a new cluster-bomb warhead mounted on a tactical ballistic missile, alongside advanced electromagnetic and infrastructure-targeting weapons, in a significant escalation of its military capabilities.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday, exclusively to Reuters.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian waters near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tehran said U.S. breaches, blockades and threats are undermining “genuine negotiations.”
The European Union is preparing its 20th round of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The measures are close to being approved, after earlier delays linked to energy concerns in Slovakia and Hungary eased following repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
The European Union adopted its 20th package of sanctions against Russia on Thursday (23 April), introducing sweeping new restrictions aimed at weakening Moscow’s war economy and limiting its capacity to sustain the war in Ukraine.
European Union leaders were set to discuss the bloc’s mutual assistance clause at a summit in southern Cyprus on Thursday, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism of traditional allies raises concerns over his commitment to NATO.
International cyber agencies on Thursday (23 April) urged organisations to strengthen defences against covert networks used by China-linked hackers to conceal malicious activity, Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said.
SoutSouth Korea’s national data protection agency said on Thursday it had imposed a significant fine on matchmaking service Duo following a cybersecurity failure that led to the leak of highly sensitive personal information.
China has released a military propaganda video hinting at a possible fourth aircraft carrier - its first to be nuclear-powered.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment